Continuing the trilogy that began with "A Blaze of Glory," "New York Times"-bestselling author Shaara returns to chronicle another chapter in America's Civil War. The action shifts to the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, where a siege for the ages will cement the reputation of one Union general--and all but seal the fate of the rebel cause.
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Continuing the trilogy that began with "A Blaze of Glory," "New York Times"-bestselling author Shaara returns to chronicle another chapter in America's Civil War. The action shifts to the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, where a siege for the ages will cement the reputation of one Union general--and all but seal the fate of the rebel cause.
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The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of two pivotal events of the Civil War: the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 - July 3, 1863) and the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which ended with the Confederate surrender on July 4, 1863. Many new books have been written to commemorate these events including this new historical novel "A Chain of Thunder" by Jeff Shaara which describes in a dramatic way the Siege of Vicksburg. The book is the second in Shaara's planned series of four Civil War novels describing events in the western theater of the war, the first of which "A Blaze of Glory" (2012) described the 1862 Battle of Shiloh. Jeff Shaara is the son of Michael Shaara, the author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, "The Killer Angels" about the Battle of Gettysburg.
Shaara's novel offers a historically informed account of the Vicksburg campaign. The account of the battles is presented lucidly and will be easy for readers unaccustomed to reading military history to follow. Most of the primary characters in the novel are historical figures, including Grant, and W.T. Sherman for the Union, and Confederate Generals John Pemberton and Joseph Johnston. Pemberton, the general responsible for the defense of Vicksburg was a native of Pennsylvania and was not trusted by many in the Confederacy. Joseph Johnston was assigned command of Confederate forces in the West and he and Pemberton did not work well together. Pemberton felt caught between orders from Johnston on the one hand and Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the other hand.
Besides leaders of the armies, Shaara introduces for the Union a private, and sharpshooter, Thomas Bauer, from Wisconsin. Bauer appears to be a fictitious character, one of the few in the book. For the Confederacy, a key character is Lucy Spence, a young woman who works bravely as a nurse in Vicksburg during the long siege. Her character is based on fact.
Each chapter in the book is presented from the perspective of one of the major actors, from either the Union or Confederacy. Shaara uses the license available to the novelist to get inside the minds of his characters, to create conversations, and to describe the characters' reactions to events in a deeper, more imaginative way than available to historians.
The book begins in April, 1863, when the Union fleet makes a daring run past the formidable Vicksburg batteries with the purpose of transporting Union troops from the west side of the Mississippi to the east for an attack on Vicksburg from the rear. The first part of the book describes Grant's dazzlingly brilliant campaign which utterly confused the divided Confederate commanders. As a result the Confederate Army retreated into their lines at Vicksburg.
The book picks up momentum in its description of the siege as Shaara captures the determination of the Union Army and the strong, heroic resistance by Pemberton and his forces in defense. Shaara shows the hardships endured by the residents of Vicksburg as food supplies gave out and both civilians and soldiers faced starvation. The harshness of the siege, including the pervasive bombardment of the city and its environs come through well in Shaara's writing. The book emphasizes the cruelty of the war and the resourcefulness and heroism shown by men and women on both sides of the siege. The book concludes with Pemberton's July 4, 1863, surrender to Grant of Vicksburg and of the defending army of approximately 30,000 soldiers.
This is a well written historical novel that will give the reader a good basic understanding of the Vicksburg campaign and of its protagonists.
Robin Friedman
Steveabooey
Jun 29, 2016
Jeff Shaara.....an excellent writer strikes again
If you're a Civil War buff, you're really going to enjoy Jeff's story of Vicksburg.
